Phoenix Program

The Phoenix Program was a CIA, South Vietnamese, and Australian program which was designed to identify and destory the Viet Cong via infiltration, torture, capture, counter-terrorism, interrogation, and assassination from 1965 to 1972. Americans served in an advisory capacity as ARVN provincial reconnaissance units carried out the day-to-day affairs, and they often abused their power, using torture and other coercive methods to "reveal" Viet Cong members. 81,740 suspected Viet Cong members were neutralized, with 26,369 being killed and the rest being captured. The program caused the Viet Cong to waver, as many of their members were rooted out and either killed, captured, or defected, but the CIA was forced to terminate the program after it was publicized and subsequently criticized.